1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is that of firearms and, more particularly, the type of firearm which is a handgun having a slide and a barrel, the slide and barrel being relatively movable and having means for locking the slide and barrel together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Handguns in the form of automatic pistols are well-known in the prior art. Typically, these firearms have a slide and a barrel which is relatively movable relative to the slide. When firing the barrel is locked to the slide, cartridges may be fed from a magazine in the grip of the firearm into the barrel in a position for firing when the slide recoils after firing of a cartridge. There is a mechanism which unlocks the connection or relationship between the barrel and the slide to allow the slide to recoil with respect to the barrel. The lock as between the barrel and the slide is the breech lock and is necessary since, without it, upon firing, the barrel would be blown out from its position in the slide.
Typically, in prior art breech lock mechanisms, the locking means for locking the barrel to the slide is in the form of a part or parts having a relationship that a part on the barrel has a transverse or lateral right angle portion that comes into holding engagement with a corresponding transverse or lateral right angle portion on the slide. These parts provide lo king with respect to fore-and-aft relative movement as between the slide and the barrel but do not resist lateral relative movement or vibration.
It is significant that in respect of military weapons of the type referred to, the parts as identified that provide for breech locking are manufactured with relatively large tolerances. This is necessary in a military weapon because such weapon has to remain operative even if it has been exposed to mud, dust, mishandling or otherwise. If tolerances were made too precise, mud or sand getting into the spaces between the parts identified could render the weapon inoperative. On the other hand, with target firearms or weapons, the tolerances as between the parts that have been identified can be made much smaller, and accordingly, the parts fit with greater precision and the result is that the firearm or weapon is more accurate.
The foregoing identifies a deficiency in the prior art, particularly with respect to firearms of the type described. The herein invention is concerned with providing an improvement overcoming the described deficiency, a preferred embodiment of the invention being described in detail hereinafter.